Circular knit stockings



June 13, 1961 E 2,987,900

CIRCULAR KNIT STOCKINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 15, l956June 13, 1961 P. A. MAHLER CIRCULAR KNIT STOCKINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed Oct. 15, 1956 P. A. MAHLER CIRCULAR KNIT STOCKINGSOriginal Filed Oct, 15, 1956 14; m r mnnmjm 54 52 L57' 4/ .PeZZFLQZVM"United States Patent 2,987,900 CIRCULAR KNIT STOCKINGS Peter A. Mahler,Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Singer-Fidelity,Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Original applicationOct. 15, 1956, Ser. No. 616,002. D1-

vided and this application Oct. 28, 1957, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 66-185) This invention relates to improvements incircular hosiery knitting machines of the dual feed type and in theknitted product of such machines.

This application is a division of application S.N. 616,- 002, filedOctober 15, 1956, and now abandoned.

In machines of this type it is necessary by reason of ice into thefabric by inclusion with the loops of the course in process of formationat the moment the second yarn fabric and give it a flawed appearance.

machine limitations to produce the heel pocket of the stocking, whereinthe needle cylinder is oscillated, by single feed operation, The dualfeed operation, used in producing the tubularleg of the stocking bycircular knitting, is accordingly discontinued at the beginning of theheel, and is continued again after completion of the V Y heel pocket forsubsequent formation by circular knitting of the tubular foot of the.stocking.

The changeover from dual feed to single feed involves the withdrawal ofone of the dual yarns from the needles in one course of knitting and thetermination of that course in a loose end. of yarn. While conventionallythis yarn is knittedinto the fabric up to the point of retraction innormalmanner, the fact that the loose end is not positively anchoredcreates a tendency for the loop or loops immediately adjoining the saidpoint of retraction to expand and loosen under strain imposed on thefabric and .consequent formation of a gap or hole in thefabric. 7 It isan object of this invention to overcomethis fault.

is inserted.

It is evident that the knitting in of the loose ends as described abovewill in elfect double the yarn in the courses and areas affected andwould tend to thicken the The invention contemplates a substantiallycomplete concealment of the marks by bringing the loops containing theloose ends into substantial coincidence with the gore lines which are anecessary concomitant to the formation of the heel pocket, as wellunderstood in the art, and which appear at opposite sides of the heel ofthe conventional circular knit stocking.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theattached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a stocking made in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary face view of'the left side of thestocking;

FIG. 3 is alike view of the right hand side;

FIG. 4 is a development of the heel pocket of the stocking;

FIG. 5 is a greatly magnified view of the area of the stocking fabricembraced by the rectangle appearing in broken lines in FIG. 2;

' FIG. 6 is a like view of the area embraced by the broken lines in FIG.3;

When, in dualfeed knitting, one of the yarns is withafter the terminalloop in the interrupted course and at the point of yarn withdrawal. Theseverance of this yarn does not occur immediately after withdrawal butat some distance .from the terminal loop thereby leaving a trailing end.of considerable length which, conventionally is cut away by hand at apoint near the loop. The present invention contemplates the use of thisextended and unsevered end as .a medium for anchoring the loose end ofyarn in the fabric so as to preclude formation of the undesirable gap orhole described above.

.To this end, it is proposed to guide the manipulate the needles so thatthe end, or at least that part of it which immediately adjoins theterminal loop in the interrupted course, shall be picked up by theneedles and knitted into the fabric with and in the same manner as. theyarn from the continuing feed source which forms the following course.The length of loose end so knitted in will be adequate to form apositive anchor for the interrupted course of loops and to preservethose loops substantially intact and unmodified by the yarn and .1

strains to which the stocking may normally be subjected.

It will be apparent that conventionally the same faulty condition willprevail when the dual feed knitting operation is re-established at thecompletion of the heel pocket. Reintroduction of the'second yarn againentails the formation of 'an extended loose end which normally is cut Ig 'l ediatelyv adjo nfmg the said loop shall-be knitted FIG. 7 is adevelopment in part of the cam ring of a knitting machine of thecharacter to which the inven tion relates showing the needle and jackcams immediately involved in the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the dial plate, theelements of the yarn feed, a part of the needle series;

FIG. 9 is a similar view showing the elements of the yarn feed indifferent positions of adjustment;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the details of theyarn clamping and severing elements of the feed mechanism; V

' FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view illustrating the function of the sinkersto control latch clearance of a yarn loop carried by one of the needles;

FIG. 12 is a similar fragmentary view illustrating a detail of structureand operation;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the relatlon ofthe needles to yarn in different positions of the yarn feed fingers;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing one of the yarn feed fingers and theimmediate section of the needle cylinder at the time of yarnintroduction;

FIG. 15 is a like view showing the needles and finger during the periodof yarn Withdrawal, and

16 is a schematic view of the needle circle.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings, the heelpocket of the stocking 1 is indicated by the reference numeral 2, and 3indicates collectively the gore marks which appear at the opposite sidesof the heel and which are anunavoidable result of the machine processused in the knitting of this portion of the stocking. As previouslydescribed, the dual yarn feed is terminated with the initiation of theoscillatory operation at the heel and the point of termination relativeto the gore marks is best illustrated in FIG. 5. The feed from one ofthe yarn feed stations, hereinafter identified as station B, isinterrupted at the point 5 in course 6 and the terminal loop of thiscourse may be identified also by the number 5. In accordance with theinvention, the loose end 7 extending from the loop 5 is knit with theyarn 8 of the course 9, which immediately follows the course 6, throughthe loops of the next preceding course 11. Course 9 is formed from yarnfed from the other of the yam feed stations which will be identifiedhereinafter as station A; and the subsequent courses making up the heelpocket will be composed of yarn drawn solely from station A. The yarnfor course 11, lying in the'dual feed area ofthe leg, will be drawn fromstation A. In course 9 the loops which immediately follow the positionof the ter rninal loop are the composite loops 10 which contain inaddition to the normal loops of the course, the loops formed from theloose end 7 as described above.

The course 9, which merges as described with course 6, may be consideredthe last course of circular knitting prior to institution of theoscillatory action which forms the heel pocket. The first oscillationbegins at the point 12 in FIG. 6 and the initial pass of thatoscillation terminates at the point 13 in FIG. 5. From these points, asbest shown in the development ofFIG. 4, the oscillations areprogressively narrowed by withdrawal of needles to the points 14 and 15;then widened by reverse process to the points 16 and 17; again narrowedto the points 18 and 19; then widened in a single course from the points18 and 19; to the initial points 12 and 13; further widened byprogressive needle insertion from the points 12 and 13 to the points 21and 22, and finally again narrowed progressively to the points 23 and 24where the full circular knitting and dual yarn feed are restored.

It will be noted that the gore line which extends between the points 13and 22 is formed by the interlacing of the terminal loops ofprogressively widened courses of oscillatory knitting described above,with the loops of the last preceding course of full circular knitting.In other words, the said terminal loops interlace with the loops ofcourse 9 which are interknit with the final three loops of course 6.,and the following loops of course 9 including the composite loops 10.Thus the composite loops substantially coincide with and in effect areincorporated in the gore mark to an extent rendering them substantiallyinvisible to the naked eye. Not only is the loose end 7 securelyanchored in the fabric tothe material ad- 7 vantage described above, butthe otherwise adverse effect of the anchored end on the appearance ofthe stocking is avoided.

The same method is employed for anchoring'the loose end of yarn whichattaches to the initial loop of the second feed yarn when re-introducedat station B, and for rendering the anchored end invisible. In thiscase, however, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the composite loops ofwhich the said yarn end .forms a part, see FIG. 6, coincide with thegore mark extending between the points 21 and 23, this line parallelingthe adjoining parts of the initial courses of full circular knitting atrestoration of the latter at completion of the heel pocket. Thepositions of the composite loops and their relationto the loops of theadjoining courses and to the gore .rnark are clearly shown in FIG.- '6and indicated in FIG. 3.

The mechanical means for achieving the aforedescribed results areillustrated in FIGS. 7 to 16 of the drawings. The yarn :feed stationsAand B are shown in FIG. 7 and also the needle cams associated with saidstations. At station A the cams comprise the conventional latchclearingand stitch earns 31 and 32 which function for both directions of needletravel in the usual manner. station B the cams include .a latch clearingearn 33 and a stitch cam 34 both of which are adjustable radially. ofthe needle cylinder as and .for purposes hereinafter described. The cams33 comprises lower and upper radially off-set portions 35 -and,36respectively. The essential mechanism comprises also needle jacks, ofwhich one is indicated at-37, and adjustable jack cams .38;

The 'needle circle comprises needles of three differing butt-lengthsarranged in groups as indicated in FIG. 16. The continuous seriesextending I clockwise fromgpoint 39 to point 41 have butts of majorlength. Between the points 41 and 42 the needles, numbering six in thepresent instance, are :of intermediate length and this series ofintermediate butt :needles will be hereinafter identified-as group C.From the point 42 to point 43 the butts are of 4 minor length; and inthe series of six needles 43 to 39, five of the needles have butts ofthe said intermediate length and the remaining needle, which occupies anintermediate position in the series, is of the said minor butt length.This entire series of six needles will be hereinafter referred to asgroup D. i

As previously stated, the feed of yarn from station A may for thepurpose of this invention be considered constant. Change from dual tosingle feed operation and the reverse are functions of the feed atstation B. In interrupting the feed at this station the yarn feed finger44 is elevated so as to withdraw its yarn 45, see FIG. 9, from theneedles in conventional manner. In accordance with the invention thisoccurs at'the leading end .of group C of the intermediate butt needlesso that normally the yarn would leave the needles between the firstneedle of the said group and the last or trailing needle of the majorbutt series, all with reference to direction of cylinder rotation asindicated in-the drawings. Prior to the movement of the needles of groupC into station B, however, the cams 33 and 34 are retracted to an extentsuch that, while not affecting the normal elevation of the precedingmajor butt needles to latch clearing position and subsequent depressionthereof to cast their loops, the intermediate length butts of the groupC needles will not engage the upper part 36 of cam 33 and also earn 34.The lower part 35 of cam 33, still active on the intermediate lengthbutts, will lift the needles of the group to a semi-elevated position,as shown in FIG. 11 for example, wherein the yarn loops then carried bythe needles will clear the latch, and since the cam 34 is also retractedto an inoperative position with respect to the needles, the latterremain in the semi-elevated position as indicated in the diagram of FIG.15. This figure shows also that the major butt needles, preceding thegroup C needles past the feed station and elevated to the latch clearingposition by cam 33, were subsequently depressed by earn 34 to cast theirloops in nonnal fashion. This particular course of knitting willterminate with the loop formed by the last or trailing needle of themajor butt length series, and in FIG. 5 this loop, formed from yarnpicked up at station B, has beenidentified by the reference numeral 5.As shown also in the diagram of FIG. 15, the needles of the minor buttseries following the group C have been unafiected by retracted cam 33,and these needles will also miss cam 34 and will therefor retain theirloops and will track inthe path .of the major butt needles leaving thecam 34 and .at the same elevation.

As previously stated, the elevation of the finger 44 was timed so thatnormally the yarn 45 would leave the needles between the leading needleof group C and the trailing needle of the major butt series. By reasonof the elevated position of the C group needles, however, as shown inFIG. 15, the yarn does not clear these needles and will lie at the outersides thereof. As the needles advance and as shown in FIG. .9, thetrailing end of the yarn is carried by the needles under the resilientyarn anchoring .finger 46 on the dial 47, and over the lower blade 48 ofa :shear of which the upper movable blade, now elevated position, isshown at 49. Except in the details hereinafter described, the finger 46and shear 48, 49 may be considered conventional. At the position shownin FIG. 9 theblade 49 is tripped to move downwardly and thereby severthe yarn 4.5. In this position also the needles are moving intoyarnfeedstation A.

It will be noted, .as shown in FIG. .9, that between the station B andthe position of :the yarn cut elf, the needles of the major buttseniesand also those of the minor butt series have been elevated tolatch clearing height. This elevation, which occurs .at position XinFIG. 9, is offectedby jacks 37, see FIG.7, and jack cams '38 which maybe inserted at the proper-point into the paths of the jack butts, itbeing notedihowever thatyby reason 'ot the special form of the "jacks"otthe-C group needles the position of the needles of the group C' arenot "affected by the cams 38 so that these needles remain in thesemi-elevated poistions previously described and as indicated in FIG. 9.As also illustrated in FIG. 9, and also in FIG. 11, the trailing end ofthe yarn from the terminal loop has been supported on the sinkers 52above the lower ends of the needle latches 53. It will be noted alsothat following elevation of the needles at X the trailing yarn end willpass inwardly of the needle circle between the trailing needle of groupC and the leading needle of the minor butt series.

At this point, therefore, the needles of group C carry loops of yarnpreviously picked up at station A and in position for casting. They alsohave the trailing end of yarn from station B lying across their facesbut above the latch ends. When these needles move into yarn feed stationA, the cam 31 of that station will have been retracted so as not toengage the group C needles so that the latter will not be elevated andthe said trailing end of yarn from the terminal loop 5 will lie abovethe latch and will be drawn downwardly by cam 32 to carry that yarn,together with the new yarn picked up at station A, through the cast loopto form the composite loops 7, 8 previously described. The other needlespassing into station A were previously eleavated by the cams 38 andtheir loops are in the latch clearing position, so that they cast theirloops at that station independently of cam 31. In this manner the looseend of yarn from terminal loop 5 is knit by the group C needles into thetabric as clearly illustrated in FIG. 5.

The same device is utilized to anchor the loose end of yarn formed whenthe yarn feed is restored at station B. The sequence of operations isillustrated in FIGS. 6, 8, 12 and 14. In this case, the finger 44 isdepressed to insert the yarn 45 between the leading needle of the groupD and the trailing needle of the minor butt series. The latter needle isindicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 54. At the point ofintroduction, the group D needles carry loops received at station A, butthese loops are not cast at station B as hereinafter described. Thepreceding minor butt needles also carry loops picked up at station A butthese needles receive no yarn in passing through station B and were notelevated to latch clearing position at that station by reason ofretraction of the cam 33. The lower part of cam 33 is engaged by theintermediate length latches of the group D needles and therefor elevatesthose needles to the same elevated positions wherein the loops carriedfrom station A are cleared of the latches and the yarn 45 is interceptedby the leading needle of the group as shown in full lines in FIG. 8. Itwill be noted, however, that in group D the one needle 55 of minor buttlength, previously referred to, was not raised by cam 31 and thereforeleaves the station in the same depressed position in which it entered,as have the other needles of corresponding butt length. It should benoted also that the intercepted yarn lies against and above the lowerends of the latches of the group D needles and is supported in thisposition by the sinkers 52 as previously described. The upper end of theneedle 55 therefore lies below the level of the yarn as indicated inFIG. 1.

As the needles progress, means is provided to intercept the yarn sectionextending within the cylinder for drawing the yarn tautly across theneedles of group D. To this end the yarn 45 from finger 44, having itsloose end clamped on the :dial plate by the finger 46, is looped by theneedle progression about a pin 56 on the said plate, as shown in FIG. 8,so that the yarn is held tautly across the fronts of the group Dneedles. In the meantime, the leading needle 57 of the major buttseries, following group D, has been actuated at station B to take theyarn 45 and to cast the loop previously picked up at station A, and thenew loop of yarn 45 constitutes the initial loop of the now restoreddual feed. In 'FIG. 6, this needle loop has been indicated by thenumeral 57.

As the loop of yarn termed about the pin 56 progresses to. the positionindicated in broken lines in FIG. 8, the yarn end extending from theleading needle of group D passes under the finger 46, but the finger atthis point, and as hereinatter explained, exerts smallclamping pressureon the yarn so that the end is pulled away firom' the finger withoutexcessive tension and possible yarn rupture at an intermediate point.

As the needles move into the dotted line position in FIG. 8 they areelevated by the earns 38 and associated jacks, with the exceptions setforth below, to latch clearing position. The exceptions are the'group Dneedles which already occupy the atoresaid semi-elevated position. Theneedle 55, however, is' elevated, but by reason of the fact that theyarnend 45 lies above the upper end of this needle and tautly against thelatches of the other needles of the group, the needle 55 passes in frontof the yarn in the manner illustrated in FIG. 12. The needle therebyacts to retain the yarn end securely against the other needles of thegroup so that when, at station A, the needles after picking up the newyarn are depressed to cast their loops, the yarn end will be carrieddown with the said new yarn to form the composite loops indicated at 25in FIG. 6. The needle 55 in its downward movement will miss the yarn endand the yarn will float between the immediately adjoining Wales asindicated at 59. The loose end thus knitted into the fabric is securelyanchored as described above. As the yarn section between the pin 56 andthe cylinder passes under the shear blade 49, the latter is actuated tosever the yarn.

It will be noted that in this case also, the tieing in of the loose endof yarn as described above, occurs in immediate proximity to the goremarkings on the right side of the heel of the stocking, specifically themark lying between the point 21, see FIG. 4, and the terminal point 23of oscillatory knitting. The terminal loops of the short courses whichdefine the gore line between the points 21 and 23 are interkni-t withloops of the yarn from the feed finger 44 in an intermediate course, theloops of which are interknit with the composite loop as shown in FIG. 6.The double thickness of yarn in the loops 25 is thereby concealed andsubstantially invisible to the naked eye.

Attention is directed to the clamping finger and shear assemblyindicated by the reference numerals 46, 48 and 49. The lower shear blade48 is fixed and the upper blade oscillates about a pivot bolt 61 in ablock 62 secured to the dial plate 47. The finger 46 is also fixed atits rear end to the dial plate. Also pivotally mounted on the bolt 61 isa lever 63 which carries a block 64 at its forward end and has also apin 65 which projects through a slot 66 in blade 49. The slot and pinconstitute a lostmotion means affording free motion between the bladeand the lever. The spring 51 attached to the lever 63 tends to move thetor-ward end downwardly to a position in which the block 64 will bearagainst the top of the finger 46 to augment its yarn clamping capacity,but this movement of the lever is permitted only when the blade 49 movesdownwardly in its working stroke or occupies the closed position withrespect to the fixed blade 48. However, by such arrangement, adjustmentof the tension of spring 51 may be utilized to vary the degree ofpressure applied to the clamping finger 46 by block 64 independent ofthe means normally applied to operate the shear blade 49 to closedposition. By this means the clamping pressure of the block on the fingerduring the withdrawal of the yarn end in the operation illustrated inFIG. 8 and described above may be regulated to avoid yarn rupture.

I claim:

1. A circular knit stocking having a. tubular section whereof successivecourses of loops are formed from yarn drawn from two different sources,and said stocking having an adjoining section knit from yarn drawn fromone only of said sources, the juncture of said sections exhibiting asevered end of yarn firom the other of said sources, said end extendingfrom a terminal loop in the'terminal course, and the loops of theknitted fabric immediately adjoining said terminal loop being compositeof the said severed end and vof yarn drawn from said one source wherebythe loose end is securely anchored in the knitted fabric, said adjoiningsection having a plurality of short courses terminating in gore linesdefined by gore marks coincident with the terminal loops of said shortcourses, a portion of said gore lines being parallel and vcoextensivewith the said composite loops .in proximity thereto, whereby said co-extensive portion of the gore "lines conceals said composite loops,

2. A stocking according to claim 1, wherein the terminal loops of saidshort courses coincident with said coextensive portion of the gore linesare interknit with 15 said composite loops.

8 3. A stocking according to claim 1,wher,ein the terminal loops of saidshort courses coincident with said coeextensive portion of the. gorelines are interknit with loops drawn from said one source in anintermediate course, the loops of said intermediate .courseibeinginter-. knit with said composite loops. V

References Cited in the file voi this patent V NITED TES PATENTS

